The International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA), in conjunction with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), has announced that it will offer a free guide training course at the Charles Darwin Research Station on the island of Santa Cruz from November 18-22, 2013.
The course, "Five Days to Five Star Guiding," was designed by top international guide training experts Dr. Sam Ham and Thomas O'Brien specifically for Galapagos guides and will cover a range of topics including thematic interpretation, ethics and professionalism, and the guide's role as an ambassador for conservation. Ham and O'Brien will lead the five-day program to help guides achieve excellence in their field.
"Great guiding is important in every destination. But because the Galapagos is such a unique and complex place, the quality of guiding is perhaps even more important there in terms of overall guest experience," said Kurt Kutay, president and founder of IGTOA member company Wildland Adventures and IGTOA president.
"By providing Galapagos guides with world-class training, IGTOA aims to help ensure that the islands remain the world's preeminent nature travel destination."
The Galapagos Islands, located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, are famous for inspiring Darwin's theory of evolution and for being the home to dozens of species found nowhere else on Earth. More than 180,000 people visited the islands in 2012.
"My own research has revealed the pivotal role that guides play, both in the overall quality of travelers' experiences and in the perceptions, understanding and appreciation of truly special places like Galapagos," said Dr. Ham, Director of the Center for International Training and Outreach at the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources and author of leading books and academic papers on guiding. "It is through these perceptions and understanding that growing a worldwide constituency for nature and conservation is even possible. Professionalism in guiding simply must be a centerpiece of any tour operator's mission, at least if sustainability and making a positive difference in the world matters."
The course, valued at US $2,495 retail, will be offered free of charge for up to 25 licensed national park guides, and will include room, board and all course materials. Guides who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from IGTOA and be included on a list of IGTOA certified guides distributed to member companies.
Tour operators and licensed Galapagos National Park guides who are interested in learning more about the program should contact Matt Kareus at exd@igtoa.org or visit the Five Star Guiding in Five Days application page.
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Media Contact:
Matt Kareus
Executive Director
International Galapagos Tour Operators Association
exd@igtoa.org
The International Galapagos Tour Operators Association is a nonprofit association of travel companies dedicated to promoting high professional standards in Galapagos tourism and preserving the Galapagos Islands as a unique and priceless world heritage that will provide enjoyment, education, adventure and inspiration to present and future generations of travelers.
The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF) is an international not-for-profit scientific organization. The CDF has been working in Galapagos since 1959 under an agreement with the Government of Ecuador and with a clear mission to work closely with Government Institutions, providing scientific knowledge and assistance to ensure the conservation of Galapagos.
